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The Death of a Character: To Mourn or Not to Mourn

I was asked a question earlier by someone I find both wise, endearing, and completely talented in all that she does. Her question has been bouncing around in my mind and I realize that my answer to her was very swift and two dimensional so maybe I should expand a little on the subject. The question happened after I was very pleased with writing a prominent character’s death.

I took it as someone who writes herself wanted to know if we had similar feelings. She asked, “Do you mourn them? If you don’t, do you feel badly for not mourning them?”

I responded simply with, “I’ve been juggling with this death, going back and forth whether I should or not and ultimately for the final book sets things to 11. I do some more than others depending how attached I am. This one, yes. The great thing, though, is I don’t write in order so I will get to enjoy them for a while longer.” and “Some I am glad for their demise, though, and celebrate.”

If you happened to have read Rise of a Queen or Of Darkness and Light (heck, maybe even both) you realize something pretty quick. I kill characters off quite a bit. Not in a George R.R. Martin or even Steven Moffat way; the emotional trauma I might cause myself would be asylum worthy if I were to venture down that path. Nonetheless, I do tend to find a great death scene to write. Something I have said since the beginning and can shout from the rooftops…..EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. No matter how lighthearted or gut-wrenchingly dark things get, there is a purpose for everything that I write and it may not even be clear until you reach the final book; I write for the long haul. For some characters I realize that they are meant to have their demise as part of something highly entertaining or a need for vengeance that even the reader is screaming for.

Since we live in the land of spoiler alerts, I guess I should say if you have not read the first book SPOILER AHEAD….

Greco’s death serves the biggest purpose of the entire series. I know people have told me they’re either team Greco or Team Isaac which I have to always answer, “Why not be Team Tessa?” Both are what makes her who she is. Greco’s death sets the stage for everything she becomes as the Queen of the Levé’s, the main reason I labeled the first book of the series Rise of a Queen.

END OF SPOILER

Through all this, I still have to say I haven’t really answered the true question beyond the basics. YES, YES, YES, I mourn my character’s deaths….the ones that I have cultivated and molded for years until their very last breath. The necessity sometimes breaks my heart and for some people, they want to deny that death understandably. I have been working on this series since the early 2000’s when I wrote a small bit, set it aside and didn’t pick it up again until a dear friend prodded me with such tenacity it had awaken something inside of me. With guidance and suggestions Tessa became who she was and The Vampire Realm became so real I could close my eyes and see everything inside of it. It has consumed me ever since and as I am working on this final book of the series I believe I will mourn The Vampire Realm itself, but at the same time feel pleased and accomplished for giving my baby the life and excitement it contained.

To all the villains that I happen to not mourn…….all I can say is I have raised many a wine glass in your demise and take solace in the fact that I can feel better by simply going back and turning to those pinnacle pages at any time I feel the need.

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